A new day care service for veterans living in the High Wycombe and surrounding areas has been launched by Royal Star & Garter.

The service will run from the charity’s new state-of-the-art High Wycombe Home, offering care for veterans and their partners who are living with disability or dementia who do not yet require full-time residential care.

Guests at the new day care service will be kept busy and active, joining permanent residents in activities including quizzes, outings, outside entertainment, yoga, art therapy, and movement to music. Emphasis will also be paid on rekindling memories and creating connections, including making new friends over delicious and healthy meals. Well-being and health checks will also be available and guests can be picked up and dropped off if required.

It will help tackle social isolation encountered by older people and promote well-being by providing social contact, activities and structure to the week. Furthermore, the service offers valuable respite to carers, who are often older people themselves.

The charity already has its first day care guest, with others currently being assessed to join. Once fully operating, it will run Monday-Friday and cater for up to eight people per day.

The launch follows the successful trial of day care at the charity’s Solihull Home. Guests and relatives at the West Midlands home said it also led to increased confidence and opportunities to be more independent. The day care service is now a permanent feature at Solihull.

Royal Star & Garter has three Homes providing compassionate, loving care to ex-servicemen and women and their partners who live with disability or dementia. The High Wycombe Home opened in April 2019.

Day care will be led by day care hosts Vanessa Brooks and Jade Dockerty. A Health Care Assistant for 30 years, Vanessa said: “I am really looking forward to welcoming our day care guests, and making their time with us enjoyable. It will be a place to socialise and improve their well-being, to meet new people and maybe try new things. We will always be developing the service to meet the needs and wishes of guests.”

Bernadette Ashcroft, Interim CEO at Age UK Buckinghamshire welcomed the arrival of service. She said: “It’s fantastic to see Royal Star & Garter are continuing to support veterans and their partners into later life. This new development reaches out to people who have shared experiences to swap stories, access peer support and have fun in a friendly, welcoming environment.”

High Wycombe Home Manager Chelle Daly added: “The day care service gives the chance for new friendships to develop and blossom, and guests will be well looked after in our amazing new Home by our brilliant staff. It makes me proud that my team are making a difference to the lives of older veterans in our community.”

The charity’s Director of Care Pauline Shaw said: “After seeing the success of day care at Solihull, it makes perfect sense to roll it out to High Wycombe. It allows us to reach out to even more veterans and their families who can benefit from our exceptional person-centred care.”

Day care is part of Royal Star & Garter’s strategy to double the number of veterans it is able to support by 2025, and offers greater choice and flexibility to beneficiaries. As well as day care, the charity will also launch a Home Care service, and bespoke residential services for younger disabled veterans.

For specific High Wycombe Royal Star & Garter enquiries, including day care, email hw.enquiries@starandgarter.org or call 01494 927555.

For more information about life with Royal Star & Garter and eligibility, go to: https://starandgarter.org/our-homes-and-care/high-wycombe/

For more information on Royal Star & Garter’s strategy, go to: https://starandgarter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Strategy-2018.pdf